The New York City Department of Education recently released a series of recommended reading lists for Pre-K through 12th grade that include books of all different genres, subjects, and formats.  Our Teen Advisory Group checked out the 7th-12th grade reading lists, and wanted to highlight the titles they enjoyed the most!

Grades 7-8

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

This series begins with Cinder, the story of a cyborg girl who lives in China in the future.  It’s a science fiction story that’s based on Cinderella, and the cyborg girl falls in love with a handsome prince!  Other books in the series connect to other fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel.

Grades 9-10

The Rot & Ruin series by Jonathan Maberry

Rot & Ruin is about a boy named Benny who is growing up after a zombie apocalypse has taken place.  Benny’s older brother Tom is a bounty hunter, and Benny thinks that he’s going to do that, too.  But he’s going to learn that being a bounty hunter isn’t just about killing zombies.

Grades 11-12

Rapture Practice: A True Story About Growing Up Gay in an Evangelical Family by Aaron Hartzler

This book teaches people about how gay and lesbian people are often treated.  It’s a true story that shows people why they shouldn’t bully others because of who they are.

You can learn more about this literary initiative and access reading lists, posters, and bookmarks on the NYC Reads 365 website.  And if you want to read books from the lists and then share them with the rest of the world, make sure you use the hashtag #NYCReads365!